


The Cursed Prince

by multifandommess



Category: Dame x Prince Anime Caravan (Anime)
Genre: AU in which Mare has shadow-like abilities, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, From the end of episode 9, Hurt/Comfort, Mainly as a "what if" scenario and with regards to his backstory, There aren't any real spoilers for Mare's game route but I also allude to it, to contrast with his brother’s holiness and light affinity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 01:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17416202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandommess/pseuds/multifandommess
Summary: There’s a reason why Mare is called the cursed prince, and it isn’t just because of his mother’s death.





	The Cursed Prince

**Author's Note:**

> I played Mare's game route (up to the Dame end at least, before I lost all of my game data rip) and that plus the idea of taking Ruze and Mare's light and shadow theme a bit more literally is what gave birth to this fic lol

****It was as if time had come to a halt the moment the group caught sight of the familiar princess, bound and gagged on the back of a bandit’s horse. They could only stare in shock, trying to reconcile the mental image of the happy young woman that they left behind in her hometown hardly an hour ago with the image of the unconscious captured princess in front of them.

Vino was the first to snap out of it, calling out to her in vain, but his shout brought the three princes back to reality.

_They hurt mi amo… they’re taking her away…._

Ruze pulled his gaze away from the fleeing bandits as he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, his worried expression deepening at the sight of the shadows twisting around his younger brother.

“... Mare…?”

“... never forgive… never forgive… never forgive never forgiveneverforgiveneverforgive--”

“Mare, wait--!”

Ruze grimaced as his brother’s gaze clouded over, moments before his entire body melded with the shadows shifting around him. Mare’s shadow rushed out of the carriage, nearly resulting in Narek and Vino getting bucked off their horses as the animals recoiled in fright.

_neverforgiveneverforgiveneverforgive--_

“What… what _is_ that…?”

Narek and Vino forced their horses to a halt alongside the stopped carriage as they stared at the black, shadowy mass that shot up out of the ground, encompassing both the bandits and the captured princess and blocking them all from view.

“We have to get little flower out of there--!”

“Wait!”

Narek and Vino both stopped as they heard Ruze’s cry and saw him rushing out of his carriage to join them.

“The princess should be safe now.”

Narek and Vino shared a confused glance before looking back at the young prince.

“How do you know?” Vino asked.

“... Because that shadow is my brother.”

“Your--” Narek shot a bewildered glance over to Ruze’s carriage only to find it empty, before looking over at the shadowy mass holding the bandits (and the princess) captive. “ _That’s_  Prince Mare?”

* * *

Ani groaned as she slowly returned to consciousness, feeling disoriented.

_What happened…? I was home, and then… and then…!!_

Suddenly, the memories of being grabbed and forced into unconsciousness rushed back, and she struggled against her bindings with muffled sounds of distress.

“ _You’re safe. Hold still._ ”

Ani tensed at the voice, moments before feeling both the ropes binding her and the cloth gagging her snap and fall to the ground. As soon as she could move, she whirled around to see who was behind her, her heart sinking at the shadowy, almost inhuman form that met her eyes--but pushing past the momentary shock of fear, she took another close look and belatedly realized whose voice had spoken to her.

“... Prince Mare…?”

Mare said nothing, instead brushing past her and moving over to the bandits, who were struggling in vain to run away.

“ _You hurt mi amo. You tried to take her away._ ” The shadows twisted and lashed around Mare’s shadowy form, making him seem even more inhuman than before. “ _I’ll never forgive you._ ”

“P-please, please, we’re sorry, we’ll never go near any of you again--”

The shadows wrapped around the bandits and lifted them into the air, completely erasing any chance that they may have had to escape.

“ _Never forgive… never forgive… never forgive…._ ”

“Prince Mare, stop!”

Mare’s gaze cleared as he heard Ani’s voice, and he reluctantly stopped himself from tearing the bandits apart piece by miserable piece in favor of glancing over at the princess.

“Prince Mare… I know you’re angry, but hurting these people isn’t going to change what they did. Please, let them go.”

Perhaps it was because she was still speaking to him like he was a normal person, or perhaps it was just because he couldn’t bring himself to deny the princess anything--but regardless of the reason (though greatly reluctant to do so), Mare tossed the bandits out of the shadows surrounding them without harming them further.

Ani gave Mare a shaky smile, feeling weak once more with exhaustion. “Thank you, Prince Mare….”

With that, Ani felt herself slipping into unconsciousness once more. Mare was quick to shift the shadows around her to keep her from falling before warily stepping forward to clear the distance between them.

“ _You shouldn’t be thanking me… not for this…._ ”

Mare held the princess in his arms as he carried her through the shadows, pausing only briefly by his brother to speak.

“ _I’m bringing her back home._ ”

Ruze smiled as he looked down at the shadow on the ground, paying no mind to Narek and Vino’s bewildered expressions. “Alright.”

Mare traveled as quickly as the shadows would allow until he heard Teo and Grimaru shouting for the princess, and he followed their voices before reluctantly releasing his hold on Ani so she could return to her knight.

“Wh-- Princess?!”

Mare watched as Teo rushed over to her side and immediately began examining her for injuries, and he had to fight the urge to take her back and keep her locked away in the shadows with him so that no one could ever lay a finger on her again--but he knew that as much as he wanted to keep her all to himself, even if he had a chance before, she would never want to be around him now that she saw for herself what a monster he really was.

“ _... Take care of her._ ”

The murmured voice just barely reached Teo’s ears, and the brunet quickly glanced around in confusion before spotting the retreating shadow.

“That voice… was that…?”

Ani shifting slightly in her sleep pulled Teo’s thoughts away from the Selenfaren prince and back to his unconscious princess, and he carefully lifted her up and carried her back home so she could get some proper rest, feeling both guilt and regret that he couldn’t be the one to protect her.

* * *

It was late into the night when Ani finally began to stir, blinking blearily as she tried to figure out where she was.

“Princess! You’re awake!”

Ani’s gaze shifted over to the knight sitting on a chair next to her bed, looking both exhausted and relieved, and she couldn’t help but relax with a relieved smile of her own.

“Teo….”

“Princess, I’m so sorry!” Teo bowed to Ani and lowered his head in guilt. “I should have been by your side, I never should have let those people take you away--”

“Teo, it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” Ani gave her knight a smile as he lifted his head to look at her. “I should have been paying more attention.”

“Still….” Teo was about to argue, but one look from Ani had his expression shifting to resigned amusement. “Okay, okay, I get it. As long as you’re alright, that’s what matters.” With a slight frown, he added, “Though… how exactly did you get away and back here, anyway?”

Ani’s brows furrowed as she dropped her gaze to her lap, trying to think back to the incident. “I’m not really sure, but… I think Prince Mare helped me…?”

“You _think_ he helped you?”

“I don’t really know how to explain it, but… when I regained consciousness, everything was dark, and I saw… _someone_ , but he barely looked like a person--I only knew it was Prince Mare because I recognized his voice, and he responded when I called out to him.” Ani frowned. “I know it’s probably difficult to believe, but--”

“I believe you, Princess.”

Ani looked up at Teo in surprise. “You do?”

Teo smiled sheepishly. “I brushed it off as my imagination, but… I briefly saw shadows moving around you when I found you, and I could have sworn I heard Prince Mare’s voice. Maybe I wasn’t seeing and hearing things after all.”

The knight was caught off-guard as Ani suddenly sat up and shifted so she could get off the bed.

“Princess, where are you going?”

Ani looked at him in confusion. “I’m going to thank Prince Mare for saving me.”

“What? Now?? Princess, it’s late, and he’s probably almost back in Selenfaren by now!” Sensing that his princess wasn’t about to back down so easily, he added, “You can go tomorrow, okay? I’ll come with you.”

Ani frowned, displeased, but reluctantly sat back down on the bed regardless. “Fine, but I’m going first thing in the morning. I want to make sure he and Prince Ruze got home safely anyway.”

“Princess….” Teo sighed before smiling. “Alright. We’ll set out first thing in the morning, then.”

Ani returned her knight’s smile with one of her own.

“Thank you, Teo.”

* * *

“... I ruined everything….”

Mare sat on his couch with his knees hugged to his chest and his face hiding against his legs, his bedroom door locked and the curtains drawn tightly shut.

_I never should have left… I should have stayed here, where I belong…._

“ **Cheer up, Prince Mare! You still have me, and you always will.** ”

Mare glanced up briefly at the puppet on his hand. “... Yeah. I’ll always have Kyuaran, so I’m not alone. I don’t need anyone else. I don’t need….”

Images of Ani flashed through his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut to keep the frustrated tears from building up, the shadows shifting around him to reflect his mental turmoil.

“I don’t need her, I don’t…!!”

He jerked and sat up straight as he heard something crash, startled out of one set of negative thoughts and sent plummeting straight into another-- _someone’s breaking into my room, they’re here to kill me_ \--before relaxing marginally as he realized that the sound came from his shadows knocking over a small table.

“ **... Prince Mare, you must calm down. You can’t keep upsetting yourself like this.** ”

“I know, Kyuaran, but… what am I supposed to do…?”

Mare dropped his head once more. “I’m a monster… I don’t know why I tried to pretend I’m not….”

“ **Prince, you’re not a monster! The cruel people that tried to hurt _mi amo_ are the monsters!**”

“But… she was scared of me. I saw it, she tried to hide it but I saw it in her face… she’s never going to want to be around me ever again.” He stared at the floor, his gaze dulling. “Just like everyone else… I thought she was different, but… in the end, Kyuaran is the only one who will ever understand me.”

“ **That’s right, Prince Mare! I’ll always understand you!** ”

“... Yeah. All I need is Kyuaran. I never should have thought….” Mare shook his head. “I’ll just stay in here forever, just like before.”

_So I don’t ever have to see someone look at me with those eyes ever again._

Mare wasn’t entirely sure when he dozed off, the shadows wrapping around him like a protective blanket shielding him from anyone or anything that tried to disturb him, nor was he sure how many hours (or days, or weeks) passed as he refused to so much as open his door for food.

_It’s better this way, isn’t it? I can just rot away, and no one would even know or care. I’ll be doing this country a favor, just like before._

He couldn’t even muster up the energy to read or talk to Kyuaran, his listlessness pulling him down deeper and deeper until he barely even shifted at the sound of a knock on his door.

“Prince Mare? Prince Mare, are you in there?”

Mare kept his eyes closed, still in a half-conscious daze as he brushed off the voice as just a figment of his imagination.

After all, there was no way that the princess of Inaco would be standing outside his bedroom door.

“Prince Mare, Prince Ruze said that you haven’t left your room since you got home, so I know you’re there. Please open the door.”

Mare groggily cracked an eye open, confusion beginning to settle in.

_Why am I still hearing her voice…?_

“... I don’t know if you’re listening, but… I came here to thank you for saving me. I wanted to thank you properly, face to face, but I hope thanking you like this will get my appreciation across just as well.”

The prince sat up slowly, a wave of dizziness nearly making him sick, but he pushed it aside in favor of focusing on the door in a mixture of wariness and tentative hope.

_You idiot… did you really come all this way to thank me…? Even after I…._

“And also… I wanted to apologize. I… I was honestly very happy that you were finally coming out of your shell, talking with other people and traveling around and having a good time with everyone, but… because of me, now you’ve locked yourself back up in your room. I’m sorry, Prince Mare.”

_No… no, that’s not it, it’s not your fault, it’s what’s best for everyone--_

“I understand if you resent me for making you… reveal that part of yourself. I promise I won’t tell anyone what I saw, and neither will Prince Narek or Vino.”

_I could never resent you…!! You’re supposed to be the one resenting me!_

Mare stumbled to his feet, forcing his body to cooperate enough to make it to the door.

“Well, I guess I’ve bothered you enough.”

_No, don’t go…._

“Goodbye, Prince Mare.”

_Don’t leave me…!!_

Mare fumbled with the lock and threw the door open, startling Ani as she went to turn away from the door.

“P-Prince M--!!” Ani’s eyes widened in shock as Mare suddenly clung to her, her face heating up. “... Um, Prince Mare…?”

“Don’t leave me, please don’t leave me, I’m sorry, please don’t leave, please--”

Ani’s heart clenched as she felt Mare trembling against her, and she wrapped her arms around him in return, gently guiding him back inside the bedroom. “Shh… I’m not leaving, not unless you want me to go.”

“I don’t, I don’t want you to go, please don’t go, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please--”

Ani’s brows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and concern, even as she eased him down onto the couch with her. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I… I scared you, I made you see what a horrible monster I am, I never wanted you to see that….” He kept his face pressed against her shoulder, afraid to see what kind of expression she was wearing now--he didn’t know if he’d be able to handle it if she was only humoring him (or worse, if she was looking at him in disgust). “But I just… I couldn’t let them take you away….”

Ani’s expression softened. “It’s true that I was a bit… _startled_ , but I never once thought of you as a monster, Prince Mare.” Mare’s head shot up to look at her in surprise, and she gave him a gentle smile in hopes of easing his fears. “How could I ever think of my savior as a monster?”

“... Savior…? Me…?”

“Well you did save me, didn’t you?”

Mare dropped his gaze, his face heating up slightly. “I… yes, but….”

“You aren’t a monster, Prince Mare. You saved me, and I can never thank you enough.” With a frown, she added, “Why would you call yourself a monster? I know that your… uh… _abilities_ aren’t exactly normal, but calling yourself a _monster_ is a bit much, isn’t it?”

Mare’s expression fell, his gaze dulling. “Because it’s the truth. It always has been, since the moment I was born.”

“Since the moment you were born? What do you mean?”

The prince closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against Ani’s shoulder. “... Every few centuries, a child of darkness is born to the royal family, brought into this world only to embody the country’s sins while the child of light purifies his people. I was that child of darkness, born to be hated and feared by everyone, just as my brother was born to be loved and admired by everyone.”

“What? But that’s… that’s so cruel!” Ani’s expression was a mix of grief and rage as she straightened up to look at Mare, who glanced up at her in return with a look of surprise. “No one should be ‘born to be hated and feared by everyone’! You deserve to be loved and admired too!”

“... I deserve… to be loved…?”

Ani’s expression softened as Mare looked at her with eyes clouded over with tears, and she reached out without thinking to gently wipe away a single tear that escaped down the side of his face.

“Yes, Prince Mare. You deserve to be loved.”

Mare’s expression cracked as his tears began to fall in earnest. “Even… even if I’m a monster? Even if I… killed someone?”

“Killed?” Ani’s heart sunk for a moment, before quickly reining herself in.

_With how he’s putting himself down, there has to be more to it than that._

“Prince Mare, what do you mean you killed someone?”

“My… my mother… she was like my brother, full of light, but when I was born….” Mare cut himself off with a sob. “It was my fault. It was because I’m the cursed child. I stole her light from my brother, and from our people….”

“Oh, Prince Mare….” Ani teared up, pulling Mare into a tight hug. “You didn’t kill her. That wasn’t your fault, you had no control over that.”

Mare’s tears began to fall harder as he tightly gripped the back of Ani’s dress with shaking hands. “Everyone… always said it was my fault… that I killed her… that I’m a monster, a cursed child….”

“Well they’re wrong.” Ani moved a hand up to run through Mare’s hair, feeling him tremble against her as he let out a shuddering sob. “It wasn’t your fault, and you aren’t a monster or cursed. I promise, you’ll never have to feel like that again--just remember, you have people that care about you.”

“... I’m not alone…?”

Ani smiled sadly. “That’s right, Prince Mare. You’re not alone, not anymore. You don’t have to hide, or put yourself down. I’m here with you.”

“You’re here….” Mare took a soft, shaky breath, his trembling gradually dying down as he leaned against Ani. “I’m not alone… you’re here….”

Ani blushed lightly as Mare began leaning against her more heavily. “U-um… Prince Mare…?”

Her expression shifted into a mixture of surprise and embarrassment as she heard his breathing evening out.

_Did he fall asleep?_

Chancing a glance downward, Ani confirmed with a soft, resigned sigh that yes, Mare was fast asleep against her--but she knew she couldn’t bring herself to wake him up. Putting aside the matter of his skin looking far too pale and the bags under his eyes looking more pronounced than normal, Ani just didn’t have the heart to disturb Mare while he was sleeping with such a peaceful smile on his face.

Settling back against the couch (and blushing once more as Mare shifted against her in his sleep with a content sigh), Ani picked up the closest book that she could reach without moving and began to flip through it to kill some time until Mare woke up.

* * *

As Mare slowly returned to consciousness, he became aware of both the smell of fresh food and the feeling of fingers running through his hair.

“Mmh…?” He forced an eye open to examine his surroundings, before blushing heavily and quickly sitting up as he saw Ani looking down at him. “Wh… wha…?”

Ani laughed softly, carefully setting aside the book she was reading so she could give the prince her undivided attention. “Good morning, Prince Mare--or good evening, rather. Did you sleep well?”

“I… yes, I did,” Mare replied, his blush darkening as memories from before he fell asleep started coming back. “You… stayed? This whole time?”

“I told you I would be here with you,” Ani replied with a smile, before letting out a startled yelp as Mare suddenly pulled her into a hug. “Prince Mare, what--”

“Thank you, thank you so much….”

Ani’s expression softened into a smile. “You’re welcome.”

The moment was interrupted by a loud gurgling, and Mare quickly straightened up with an embarrassed expression before shifting his gaze to the food in silent inquiry.

“Oh, that? Teo just brought it in a little while ago, so it should still be warm.”

Mare frowned. “But how--”

“You never locked the door,” Ani replied with a smile. “Sorry, I hope you don’t mind that he came in; I just figured you probably haven’t eaten in a while, but I didn’t want to wake you up when you were sleeping so peacefully.”

Mare’s stomach growled again before he could even respond, as if to remind Mare of just how long it was since he ate, and without another word the prince dug into the food like it was the last meal he would ever eat.

Ani watched with a smile, pleased that he was eating without a fuss, and she reached over to snatch one of his breadsticks to snack on while Mare inhaled his food.

“Slow down, Prince Mare,” Ani warned the prince as she watched him eat, before sighing and picking up a cup of tea to pass to him when he started to choke. “I’m getting deja-vu….”

Mare paused long enough to make an inquisitive noise before going back to gulping down his tea, and Ani shook her head in amusement before replying.

“Remember when I found you collapsed from hunger in the hallway?” Ani smiled. “We ended up sharing our first meal together in here just like this.”

Mare blushed lightly as he set down his empty cup, the princess’s words lifting his heart. “That was… an important memory for you too…?”

“Of course! That was the first time I properly met you.”

Mare’s lips turned upwards into an awkward yet genuine smile as he continued staring down at the table, his face flushed. “I see… it was an important memory between me and _mi amo_ … a memory just for us… heheheh....”

_He seems like he’s in a better mood than before, I’m glad._ Ani smiled as she idly ate her breadstick, silently observing Mare as he went back to eating his food at a more normal pace.

Once all of the food on the table was eaten, Mare sat back against the couch with a content sigh before shifting to lean against Ani lightly, prompting a blush from the startled princess.

“Prince Mare?”

“... Sleepy….” Mare yawned and shifted against Ani, whose blush darkened.

“Prince Mare, you can’t go to sleep again!”

“Why not?” Mare looked up at the flustered princess with a small pout on his face.

“Because… because you need to take a bath first!” Ani stammered out, scrambling for a legitimate excuse. “When was the last time you took a bath?”

Mare frowned. “... Back when I was in Inaco with you, I think.”

Ani made a face. “Okay, you’re definitely going to go take a bath right now.”

With a sigh, Mare reluctantly straightened up and forced himself to his feet. “... Okay. I’ll go take a bath.”

“Good.” Ani stood up as well. “Let me run the bath for you.”

It took a few minutes for the bathtub to fill, but once the bath was prepared, Ani left Mare in the bathroom to bathe himself while she busied herself with straightening up and airing out Mare’s room.

It was a few minutes into straightening up that Ani noticed a shadow on the ground that didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere in particular, but before she could open her mouth the shadow moved and disappeared from sight, startling her.

_Was that…?_

Curious, Ani tentatively moved over to the bathroom door and knocked. “... Prince Mare? Is everything alright in there?”

There was a yelp and some splashing followed by a shaky “E… everything’s fine!” that made Ani’s concern grow, but she decided to let it go in favor of giving Mare some space.

“Okay, I’m here if you need anything.”

“... I know. Thank you,” Mare replied, and Ani couldn’t help but smile as she heard the smile in Mare’s tone.

It was a little while later when Mare finally emerged from the bathroom, dressed in clean clothes and hair still damp, and Ani turned from straightening up a stack of Kyuaran manga to give the prince a smile.

“I tidied up your room a bit and aired it out, I hope you don’t mind.”

Mare shook his head, suddenly feeling bashful as he lifted his Kyuaran puppet to speak in his place.

“ ** _Mi amo!_ You’d better not have ruined the prince’s collection!**”

Ani lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender. “Of course not, I know how important his collection is to him. I was just straightening them up a bit, that’s all. I don’t think he would want his precious Kyuaran collection to collect dust on the floor, right?”

“ **... Hmph. Of course he wouldn’t. I suppose I can praise you for a job well done, then.** ”

“Thank you, Kyuaran,” Ani replied with a smile, unperturbed by Kyuaran’s harsh way of speaking.

Mare glanced at her from behind his Kyuaran puppet, his face heating up slightly.

_Seeing her straightening up, getting me food, running a bath for me… it’s almost like we’re m… mar…!!_

Ani’s expression shifted to one of concern as she saw Mare’s face turn dark red. “Prince Mare? Are you okay?”

“I… I’m fine,” he responded shakily, hiding his grin behind his puppet. “Anyway… how many days has it been?”

“You mean how many days have you been in your room?” Ani frowned. “According to Prince Ruze, you went straight to your room when you got back to Selenfaren, so… it’s been about three days now.”

“Three days… I guess that explains why I was hungry,” Mare murmured, prompting a disapproving look from Ani.

“Prince Mare, you can’t do this to yourself! Going three days without food isn’t healthy! What would have happened if--”

“ **Now wait just a minute, _mi amo_!**” The Kyuaran puppet was suddenly shoved in Ani’s face, forcing her to take a step back. “ **It wasn’t like Prince Mare was playing around for these three days! He was very upset and had no appetite.** ”

Ani frowned. “Kyuaran, you care about Prince Mare, right?”

“ **Of course I do! No one understands Prince Mare like I do!** ” Kyuaran declared, before tentatively adding, “ **... Except _mi amo_ , I suppose.**”

“In that case,” Ani began with a gentle smile, “you should try and convince Prince Mare to take better care of himself. He has people that care about him, after all; people like you and me that would be upset if something happened to him. So if he starts putting himself down, and I’m not around to help cheer him up and remind him to take care of himself, will you promise to do that in my place?”

“ **What, are you saying that you’ll leave Prince Mare just like everyone else?** ”

Ani saw the flash of fear and hurt in Mare’s eyes from behind the puppet and frowned. “Kyuaran, I’m the princess of Inaco… you should understand that, right? As one princess to another? A princess has her duties, so she can’t stay away from her home forever--but that doesn’t mean I’m leaving Prince Mare. Even if I’m not physically here with him, I’ll always be thinking about him, and I’ll come and visit whenever I can. Okay?”

Mare’s expression was unreadable, and for a moment Ani feared that she might have spoken out of line--but then Mare let out a quiet sigh before letting Kyuaran respond for him.

“ **... Very well then. But I’m only accepting this because you’re _mi amo_ , understand? I would never tolerate this insolence from anyone else!**”

Ani smiled. “Thank you, Kyuaran. I really appreciate it.”

Mare hesitantly lowered the puppet before adding, “... I don’t like it, though.”

Ani’s smile fell. “I’m sorry, Prince Mare, but--”

“I want to keep you all to myself,” Mare continued, before admitting, “I want to keep you locked in my room with me forever. I don’t want you to look at anyone else, or talk to anyone else, or be around anyone else ever again. I’d give you anything and everything you ever wanted as long as I could keep you all to myself.”

“Prince Mare, that’s….” Ani’s expression wavered, caught between embarrassment from the bold declaration and nervousness at the thought of Mare actually following through and trapping her. “Even if you did, I would never truly be happy being trapped.”

“... I know,” Mare said quietly. “I want to think that you’ll be happy, but… I’ve seen the way you are around everyone, including your people. I can’t keep you to myself. I don’t deserve you.”

“Prince Mare, it’s not about _deserving_ , it’s just… people aren’t pets or toys, you can’t just keep them for yourself,” Ani replied, still feeling a bit wary about the direction this conversation was going, but at the same time feeling grateful that he was openly talking about it instead of just acting on his desire.

_The Prince Mare that I first met, who spent all his time shut inside and had no idea how to interact with people… I wonder if he would have acted on his desires instead of acknowledging that it wasn’t right to do?_ Ani repressed a shudder at the thought. _Traveling around with everyone… maybe it did more good for Prince Mare than I thought, if he can feel more comfortable expressing himself now._

“But… I don’t want to lose you,” Mare replied quietly. “I don’t want to give you up. I don’t want you to go away. I don’t… I don’t want to be alone again.”

Ani’s expression softened as she reached out to take Mare’s free hand in both of her own. “You won’t be alone ever again, I promise. Like I said, even if I can’t physically be with you, I’ll always be thinking about you--so every time you feel like you’re alone, just think of me, okay? You can even come and visit if you want, whenever you feel like it.”

“... I can? You… would want me to?”

“Of course!” Ani smiled. “I didn’t have nearly enough time to show you around, and I’m sure my parents would love to see you again.”

Mare blushed and dropped his gaze, a wobbly smile on his face. “I see… I’m… wanted….”

Ani gave Mare’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Yes, Prince Mare. You’re wanted, and you’re always welcome in Inaco.”

“... Thank you.” Mare looked up at Ani, a smile still on his face. “Thank you, _mi amo_.”

“You’re welcome,” Ani replied with a bright smile of her own, before glancing down as she noticed the shadows slightly shifting around Mare’s feet out of the corner of her eye. “Oh yeah! I was meaning to ask you, but that shadow before….”

Mare winced and immediately flinched away from the princess. “I… I’m sorry, I just… I couldn’t see you and I wanted to make sure you were still here so I… I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d notice--”

“Prince Mare, it’s okay!” Ani put up her hands, gesturing for him to calm down. “I was just curious, that’s all. I’m not upset, I promise--in fact,” her smile turned slightly sheepish as she added, “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind telling me more about those abilities of yours? I’ve never seen anything like it before; how do they work, exactly? Are you controlling the shadows, or are the shadows a part of you?”

Mare stared at Ani in shock, forcing himself to talk around the sudden lump in his throat as he quietly asked, “... You… _want_ to know about it? You’re really not scared at all…?”

“Why would I be scared? Sure, it’s not exactly something you see every day, but that’s all the more reason to want to learn more about it,” Ani replied, before adding, “Plus it’s a part of you, Prince Mare. I want to learn more about you.”

Mare took a shaky breath, forcing back relieved tears even as he gave her a shaky yet genuine smile. “Thank you,” he murmured, before speaking at a normal volume. “It’s a bit of both: if I’m outside the shadows, like right now, then I can control them--but they also respond to my emotional state if I’m not careful, so saying that I can completely control them is a bit of an overstatement. When I go inside the shadows, then I become a part of them… which you saw already,” he added warily, unsure of how well-received the memory would be.

Ani nodded in understanding, an expression of concentration on her face as she took in everything Mare said. “So when you were all… black and shadow-y, that was you actually being a part of the shadows?”

Mare couldn’t help the amused smile that briefly flitted across his face at her word choice, though inwardly he was relieved that she was taking everything in stride. “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Can I see?” When Mare looked at her in confusion, she added, “See what you can do, I mean. I only got a glimpse when you saved me.”

“You… really want to see?” Mare asked incredulously, before blushing and repressing another smile as Ani looked at him with a bright-eyed enthusiasm that he was unused to seeing directed at him. “Alright.”

He took a breath to brace himself before starting slow, taking extra care to remain in complete control and to not let his emotions influence the shadows as he shifted them around his feet and up off the ground.

“Oh…!” Ani watched with an awed smile as the shadows seemed to dance in the air--she had to admit, she’d been partially bracing herself for something unsettling, but the sight was actually surprisingly captivating and beautiful in its own way. “That’s incredible, Prince Mare!”

Mare blushed heavily, letting the shadows fall back into the ground so he didn’t accidentally lose control of them in his flustered state. “I… incredible…? Not weird…? Or freaky, or creepy?”

Ani took Mare’s free hand in both of her own with a bright smile that made Mare’s blush darken even further, spreading all the way to the tips of his ears as his heart pounded almost painfully hard in his chest.

“Prince Mare,” she began, “it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t weird or freaky or creepy, it was beautiful.”

“Beautiful…,” he repeated quietly, taking in the sight of the radiant princess standing in front of him and wondering if the universe was finally repaying him for all the years of torment and suffering he went through.

“... Prince Mare…?” Ani said after a moment, growing slightly flustered as Mare continued staring at her with an expression that was almost reverent in its intensity.

Mare snapped out of it at the sound of Ani’s voice and quickly turned his gaze away, still flushed. “Did you… want to see more?”

Ani smiled. “Of course!”

“... Do you trust me?”

Ani thought back on Mare’s earlier confession of wanting to keep her trapped, and looked into Mare’s eyes, taking in the sight of the prince baring his soul for her and only her, showing her parts of himself that no one else would ever see… and she smiled softly as she responded, “Of course I do, Prince Mare. I trust you with my life.”

Mare pulled the princess into a hug, blinking away tears as he felt yet another weight being lifted off his chest.

“Then just hold on to me, and don’t be scared,” Mare said quietly as the shadows shifted around him, encompassing the two of them. “This… is also a part of my abilities.”

Ani couldn’t help the slight twinge of fear that briefly rose up as the world went black around them, but she quickly squashed it and held onto Mare, frowning worriedly as she noticed him gradually growing darker and less tangible as well. “Prince Mare…?”

“ _It’s okay,_ ” Mare reassured her, his voice slightly distorted but still recognizable. “ _It’s still me. I’m still here._ ”

“Your body… it’s….” Ani’s brows furrowed as she poked him. “... It’s shadow-y. It doesn’t feel solid.”

Mare couldn’t help his lips twitching upwards in amusement. “ _Stupid. Of course my body is ‘shadow-y’. Like I told you before, I become a part of the shadows here._ ”

To prove his point, he completely disintegrated his physical form, startling Ani into letting out a surprised yelp as he suddenly disappeared.

“P… Prince Mare…? Where--”

“ _I’m here,_ ” he replied, a light mist of shadows gently encircling the princess. “ _Around you._ ”

“Oh….” Ani reached out and tentatively brushed her fingers against the light mist wrapped around her, smiling as she felt a rush of warmth and protectiveness emitting from the shadow. “That’s amazing. You’re amazing, Prince Mare.”

Even without touching the shadow, Ani could feel the warmth emanating off of him, and her smile widened in a mixture of amusement and endearment.

_Is he blushing?_ She stifled a sudden yawn behind her hand. _The warmth feels nice though. It’s like being wrapped in a blanket…._

“ _Are you tired?_ ” Mare asked, brushing against her in concern and unwittingly prompting another quiet yawn from Ani.

“Mm… a bit,” she admitted sheepishly. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“ _Why not?_ ”

Immediately Mare’s thoughts went to the worst case scenario of nightmares of him keeping her up, so her response caught him completely off guard.

“Honestly… I was too worried about you to sleep.”

Ani blushed lightly at the confession, but it was worth the slight embarrassment as she felt the gratitude practically radiating off of Mare, warming her even further.

“ _I’m… sorry to have cost you sleep, but… thank you. Thank you so much, mi amo._ ”

Gently, the shadows swirling around Ani lifted her off the ground, and the princess felt genuinely relaxed enough to not even bother being surprised or nervous as Mare began to move her. Instead she merely closed her eyes with a soft sigh as she began to doze off.

“ _You must really be tired,_ ” Mare commented quietly, his tone amused.

Ani shook her head. “Not that… it’s just… warm, and comfortable,” she murmured, already half asleep.

Mare heated up even more, caught off-guard by her response. “ _You… really feel comfortable like this? You trust me that much…?_ ”

“Of course,” Ani responded, yawning again. “You saved my life. Of course I trust you.”

Mare shifted even closer to her, cocooning around her in an attempt to press as close to his princess as physically possible. “ _Mi amo…. You won’t regret it. I swear, I’ll protect you for the rest of my life._ ”

_I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t ever let anyone take you away from me._

“Mmhm….” Ani let out a soft sigh as she dozed off with a smile, feeling the warmth and protectiveness rolling off of the shadows surrounding her in comforting waves.

There was a part of Mare that desperately wanted to just keep Ani like this forever: wrapped up inside of him, in a place where no one could get to her to take her away from him, with a peaceful smile on her face as she entrusted herself to him completely--but he recalled Ani’s words, how she would never be happy if she were trapped, and above all else he wanted the one person who showed him true kindness and compassion to be happy.

It was with great reluctance that Mare carried the princess through the shadows and over towards her guest room instead of back into his own bedroom, knowing that the first step to keeping the trust that she placed in him was to give her her space.

After all, she was the one who chose to come back to him even after he left--he didn’t have to keep her trapped if she would come back to his side all on her own.

He passed by Ani’s knight carefully, not wanting to alert him of his presence as he slipped under the crack of the door and into the guest bedroom.

(The last thing he wanted was Teo bursting in and interrupting his last few minutes with Ani for the night, after all. That knight could be very annoying and intrusive when he wanted to be.)

Mare carefully emerged from the shadows, reassuming his physical form and holding Ani bridal style in his arms as he carried her the rest of the way over to the bed before gently laying her down.

“ _Mi amo_ … I don’t think I can ever repay you for everything you’ve done for me, and everything you’ve given me,” he began softly, taking a knee by her bedside and resting his forehead against the edge of the bed as he closed his eyes. “I can’t stand the light, but you… if it’s your light, then I don’t mind standing in it until I melt away. I know I’m not worthy, and I know I never will be--but you make me feel like maybe… maybe it’s okay to want to be loved. Maybe there is something in me worth loving. Something that isn’t a monster.”

Mare wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes as he stood up, before leaning down to hover over his princess.

“Thank you, _mi amo_.” He lightly pressed his lips against Ani’s before straightening up with a soft smile. “I love you.”

By the time Teo entered the bedroom, the only person left inside was the princess, who continued to sleep peacefully with a smile on her face.


End file.
